Human intelligence is declining according to Stanford geneticist

Ever can’t help but think you’re surrounded by idiots? A leading scientist at Stanford University thinks he has the answer, and the bad news is things aren’t likely to get any better.Dr. Gerald Crabtree, a geneticist at Stanford, has published a study that he conducted to try and identify the progression of modern man’s intelligence. As it turns out, however, Dr. Crabtree’s research led him to believe that the collective

mind of mankind has been on more or a less a downhill trajectory for quite some time.According to his research, published in two parts starting with last year’s ‘Our fragile intellect. Part I,’ Dr. Crabtree thinks unavoidable changes in the genetic make-up coupled with modern technological advances has left humans, well, kind of stupid. He has recently published his follow-up analysis, and in it explains that of the roughly 5,000 genes he considered the basis for human intelligence, a number of mutations

over the years has forced modern man to be only a portion as bright as his ancestors.“New developments in genetics, anthropology and neurobiology predict that a very large number of genes underlie our intellectual and emotional abilities, making these abilities genetically surprisingly fragile,” he writes in part one of his research. “Analysis of human mutation rates and the number of genes required for human intellectual and emotional fitness indicates that we are almost certainly losing these abilities,” he adds in his latest report.

From there, the doctor goes on to explain that general mutations over the last few thousand years have left mankind increasingly unable to cope with certain situations that perhaps our ancestors would be more adapted to.

“I would wager that if an average citizen from Athens of 1000 BC were to appear suddenly among us, he or she would be among the brightest and most intellectually alive of our colleagues and companions, with a good memory, a broad range of ideas, and a clear-sighted view of important issues. Furthermore, I would guess that he or she would be among the most emotionally stable of our friends and colleagues. I would also make this wager for the ancient inhabitants of Africa, Asia, India or the Americas, of perhaps 2000–6000 years ago. The basis for my wager comes from new developments in genetics, anthropology, and neurobiology that make a clear prediction that our intellectual and emotional abilities are genetically surprisingly fragile.”

According to the doctor, humans were at their most intelligent when “every individual was exposed to nature’s raw selective mechanisms on a daily basis.” Under those conditions, adaption, he argued, was much more of a matter than fight or flight. Rather, says the scientists, it was a sink or swim situation for generations upon generations.

"We, as a species, are surprisingly intellectually fragile and perhaps reached a peak 2,000 to 6,000 years ago," he writes. "If selection is only slightly relaxed, one would still conclude that nearly all of us are compromised compared to our ancient ancestors of 3,000 to 6,000 years ago.”That doesn’t mean it’s all downhill, though. Dr. Crabtree says, “although our genomes are fragile, our society is robust almost entirely by virtue of education, which allow strengths to be rapidly distributed to all members."

"We have a long time to solve it. People 300 years ago had no idea where we'd be scientifically now," he says. "We'll be able to deal with this problem with a range of humane and ethical solutions."

This movie is one of my favorite examples of what our society has gone too. Especially American society. The whole look at me, I'm watching the coolest new reality tv show, while posting from my Ipad to my Twitter and Facebook. Oh yay! American Idol in 10 mins!

#OMG!!! I can't believe they kicked off [insert any American Idol "star"]! I was so pulling for them to win.

Sent Via Ipad

Pretty much my thoughts in a nutshell. So this study is probably accurate.

Someone needs to read Guns, Germs and Steel. Obviously the situational awareness won't be the same today as it was 4,000 years ago, because we live and thrive in a new paradigm that relies on completely different technology. You can't operate your study and judgement on the exemplified traits of an entirely different society. That's like going to a poor village in Africa and giving everyone a low intellectual score because they couldn't figure out how to use an iphone. Repeated studies have shown no differentiation of intelligence based on genetics and race, even among areas of the world that remain very much hunter-gatherer and haven't done the genetic dance with a foreign member in centuries or millenniums.

If any of you are actually interested in the general subject of today's technology and social parameters' impact on people, then check out my recent thread here. I've never advertised my own post before, but I honestly feel it's relevant enough. A common issue with people seemingly being so dumb is due in part to a dying culture and less available time to self-reflect and develop the mind introspectively. I argue that it's a social and environment issue, not a genetic or time-oriented one.

This movie is one of my favorite examples of what our society has gone too. Especially American society. The whole look at me, I'm watching the coolest new reality tv show, while posting from my Ipad to my Twitter and Facebook. Oh yay! American Idol in 10 mins!

#OMG!!! I can't believe they kicked off [insert any American Idol "star"]! I was so pulling for them to win.

Sent Via Ipad

Pretty much my thoughts in a nutshell. So this study is probably accurate.

HAHA seriously. That and the seemingly growing obsession with having tv shows about little girls. That is the big one that worries me.

#OMG!!! I can't believe they kicked off [insert any American Idol "star"]! I was so pulling for them to win.

This is really a fault of the media as it's poor portrayal of the world and what is important. The news will happily cover a celebrity getting knocked up, but not the story of the military drones killing civilians in the Middle East, or go into any depth over the recent LAPD manhunt (which is extremely important). People are taught to consume media without thinking, so they do. It's a sad state of affairs.

Originally Posted by Naxi

IQ generally tends to be close to their biological parents, even when adopted by a family with better education opportunities.

I'd be inclined to think this is a faux conclusion as most people's IQ's fall around 100 (with a range generally comprising around 15 points offset in either direction), so obviously it would appear that children have a close IQ to that of their parents. Plus, IQ is only a test of specific problem-solving skills, not necessarily intelligence as whole. Though obviously there is some linkage there.

This is really a fault of the media is it poor portrayal of the world and what is important. The news will happily cover a celebrity getting knocked up, but not the story of the military drones killing civilians in the Middle East, or go into any depth over the recent LAPD manhunt (which is extremely important). People are taught to consume media without thinking, so they do. It's a sad state of affairs.

I'd be inclined to think this is a faux conclusion as most people's IQ's fall around 100 (with a range generally comprising around 15 points offset in either direction), so obviously it would appear that children have a close IQ to that of their parents. Plus, IQ is only a test of specific problem-solving skills, not necessarily intelligence as whole. Though obviously there is some linkage there.

Sorry, that was very hastily and poorly worded. I meant adopted children tend to be closer in IQ to their biological parents than to their foster parents. I'll try to find the study later.

The quality of education has been increasing along with the performances of children in any subject.The test is always adjusted so that the average score would always be a 100. People assume general intelligence is going down due to pop culture, but that is not an indicator.

Sorry, that was very hastily and poorly worded. I meant adopted children tend to be closer in IQ to their biological parents than to their foster parents. I'll try to find the study later.

I've seen the study, or at least one akin to it. Hereditary genes are an intrinsic factor, but it's not a recognized pattern of increases of decreases with successive generations.

Originally Posted by Naxi

The quality of education has been increasing along with the performances of children in any subject.The test is always adjusted so that the average score would always be a 100. People assume general intelligence is going down due to pop culture, but that is not an indicator.

Performance is going down, actually. It is here in the United States. The education system here operates on a poor and outmoded standard. Also, culture (environment) is the largest influence of intelligence. Pretty much any study on intellect development will show you that.

This is really a fault of the media is it poor portrayal of the world and what is important. The news will happily cover a celebrity getting knocked up, but not the story of the military drones killing civilians in the Middle East, or go into any depth over the recent LAPD manhunt (which is extremely important). People are taught to consume media without thinking, so they do. It's a sad state of affairs.

I'd be inclined to think this is a faux conclusion as most people's IQ's fall around 100 (with a range generally comprising around 15 points offset in either direction), so obviously it would appear that children have a close IQ to that of their parents. Plus, IQ is only a test of specific problem-solving skills, not necessarily intelligence as whole. Though obviously there is some linkage there.

Yep. That's the problem people like that don't go outside of that shell for anything. Instead of catching up on the actual things that affect their lives they would rather know more about who Kim Kardashian is going to marry next. Quite sad honestly.

Someone needs to read Guns, Germs and Steel. Obviously the situational awareness won't be the same today as it was 4,000 years ago, because we live and thrive in a new paradigm that relies on completely different technology. You can't operate your study and judgement on the exemplified traits of an entirely different society. That's like going to a poor village in Africa and giving everyone a low intellectual score because they couldn't figure out how to use an iphone. Repeated studies have shown no differentiation of intelligence based on genetics and race, even among areas of the world that remain very much hunter-gatherer and haven't done the genetic dance with a foreign member in centuries or millenniums.

If any of you are actually interested in the general subject of today's technology and social parameters' impact on people, then check out my recent thread here. I've never advertised my own post before, but I honestly feel it's relevant enough. A common issue with people seemingly being so dumb is due in part to a dying culture and less available time to self-reflect and develop the mind introspectively. I argue that it's a social and environment issue, not a genetic or time-oriented one.

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